


Forging A New Path

by XProSkeith



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emissary!Stiles, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, Sciles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2015-10-20
Packaged: 2018-04-27 08:17:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5040958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XProSkeith/pseuds/XProSkeith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The time has come for Scott to choose a real emissary. Deaton has helped him so far, but he tells Scott he needs someone of his choosing to become his emissary. He recommends Stiles. It seems like a great idea until Deaton tells them they have to forge an alpha/emissary bond that requires them to be fully open and honest with each other. That wouldn't be a problem except they're both in love with each other, but think the other doesn't feel the same. Seeing all of this, Deaton makes them undertake a ritual that will help them sort things out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forging A New Path

When it happened, neither Scott nor Stiles was surprised. Deaton approached Scott about his emissary. Scott was confused at first since he’d always thought of Deaton as his emissary. Deaton just smiled and told him he was only a guide. It was time for the true alpha to select his emissary. Without missing a beat, Deaton recommended Stiles.

It made sense, of course, for Stiles to become Scott’s emissary. He had a lot to learn in a short amount of time, but that wasn’t a problem. Stiles would do it for Scott. What made him the best candidate for the job was his closeness to Scott. No one understood or got Scott quite like Stiles did, even when they were at odds. But that closeness was exactly why Stiles was so worried. Stiles wanted a different kind of closeness. A closeness he knew he couldn’t have because Scott didn’t feel the same. But that was okay. Stiles was happy to just always be Scott’s best friend. If Scott needed him to be his emissary, he’d do it. He’d just tuck that part of him as far away as possible.

Except it turned out that wasn’t as easy as Stiles had hoped. Deaton explained that they needed to be completely open with each other, to break down any barrier left between them. Stiles was so screwed, but he stubbornly kept trying to keep it hidden. Stiles become increasingly frustrated as they made their way through the exercises and training only to feel the bond at the tips of their fingers slip away. But he had to do this. No, he would do this. It was for Scott and Stiles would do absolutely anything for Scott. This was important. Come hell or high water, Stiles was going to find a way to make this work. He couldn’t let Scott down, especially not when he needed him for something so important.

Scott was acutely aware that there was a problem. He was trying to be as open as possible, but it just wasn’t working. He felt the connection start to form, quite viscerally, but something blocked it. Scott knew what it was. It was his fault after all, keeping the enormous crush he had on Stiles a secret. It had never really been a problem. That is until now when they were expected to unveil everything to each other. Scott just couldn’t do that. There was no way Stiles felt that way about him and he didn’t want things to be awkward between them. He’d never do anything to jeopardize their friendship. They’d find a way around this like they always had. Even if he had to find a way alone.

Deaton watched the two of them as they continued to press through the exercises and trials he set up for them. He sighed. Deaton had always suspected that they each had a thing for the other, but now he knew for sure. He’d never seen them more out of sync with each other. They had to overcome this, but Deaton couldn’t just tell them the answer. They’d never learn or grow to their fullest potential that way. Scott, Stiles, Derek, everyone, had all learned and grown the most when he gave them crumbs. It was up to them to follow them and find the answer.

Deaton glanced down at the green army man on the table. It was the totem that Scott and Stiles had selected to represent them and their bond. It was a toy from their early childhood, shortly after they had met. Stiles had gotten the set for Scott as a birthday present and Scott had held on to as much of it as he could, even after all this time. It was the perfect choice.

But it remained lifeless and dull on the table. Without their bond to give it energy and life, it was just a chunk of plastic. Deaton sighed.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to Deaton. It was an ancient ritual, but it was a useful one. He smiled fondly remembering the time he and Talia had been made to undergo the ritual by their elders. They, too, had been unable to reconcile certain things. But this ritual had been the answer. Deaton pulled a book from his shelf, refreshing himself on the ritual. When he was ready, he stopped the boys.

“That’s enough for now,” said Deaton.

“But we’re no closer than we were before!” protested Stiles.

“Besides, it’s still early,” added Scott. “We have to keep trying.”

“No,” insisted Deaton. “That’s enough for now. I want you to met me at the edge of the preserve later tonight.”

“Why?” asked Stiles.

“I have a new exercise I’d like you to try,” said Deaton.

“Do you think it will help?” asked Scott, sounding hopeful.

“Definitely,” answered Deaton. “I think this might be just what you two need.”

“Then we’ll see you tonight,” said Scott. “Thank you, Deaton. For all your help.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Scott,” replied Deaton.”But don’t thank me just yet.”

“I don’t like that sound of that,” groaned Stiles.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” mused Deaton. “I’ll see you two tonight.”

Once Scott and Stiles were gone, Deaton gathered his things and set out to begin preparations for the ritual.

* * *

When Scott and Stiles arrived, Deaton was already waiting for them. He had two blindfolds in his hands.

“I don’t like the looks of this,” said Stiles.

“We have to try, Stiles,” said Scott.

“Yeah, I know, Scotty,” sighed Stiles.

“It’s simple really,” explained Deaton. “I’ll blindfold you two and lead you into the preserve. When the blindfold is removed, the exercise begins. You two just have to find your way back out of the preserve.”

“That’s it?” asked Stiles skeptically. “There has to be a catch.”

“Things are rarely what they seem in the preserve, especially at night,” said Deaton cryptically.

“We’ll be alright, Stiles,” said Scott. “If Deaton thinks this will help us, it will.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” conceded Stiles. “Let’s get this over with.”

Deaton blindfolded both of them and lead them into the preserve. Scott trusted Deaton, but he noticed something odd as they made their way through the preserve. He couldn’t tell where they were going. He could still hear and smell, but it felt as if his senses were being dampened somehow. Everything seemed blunted compared to normal. More than that, something felt missing. A few seconds later, Scott finally realized what it was. He couldn’t hear Stiles’ heartbeat anymore. They walked for what felt like a long time to Scott and Stiles.

“Sit here,” directed Deaton’s voice.

There was something off about Deaton’s voice. It didn’t sound as if it was behind them. It sounded as if it was all around them, disembodied. Scott and Stiles shrugged it off and sat where they were told. They felt the wood of a stump beneath them. They waited in silence for a few moments before Stiles spoke up.

“So, uh, when is this whole ritual thing actually supposed to begin?” asked Stiles.

“It began the moment you both put on the blindfolds,” answered Deaton’s voice. “You must find your way out of the preserve. But you can only do that if you work together as one. Only if you are in sync.”

“So basically you’re telling us we have to do what we haven’t been able to do for the past two weeks or we’re screwed,” said Stiles.

“More or less, yes,” replied Deaton’s voice. “But I do believe in you two.”

“And what if we can’t do it tonight?” asked Scott. “It’s already late, so we don’t have that long.”

“You will find that time and space don’t work like you’re used to during this ritual,” said Deaton’s voice. “I assure you, you have all the time you need. Now, good luck.”

Deaton’s voice faded into silence as red runes flashed across Scott and Stiles vision. They jumped at the sudden appearance, but realized that they were just meant to destroy the blindfolds. Now that they were able to see again, they realized that they were at the Nemeton’s clearing and that they were sitting on its stump.

“Uh, Scotty,” said Stiles. “It was night time when we put on those blindfolds and started this whole thing, right?”

“Yeah,” replied Scott. “Why do you- Oh.”

Scott quickly realized why Stiles had asked that question. Shafts of golden sunlight from the afternoon sun poked their way through the canopy of the preserve. A warm summer breeze blew through the clearing, gently swaying the nearby leaves and branches.

It had been night when they started. More than that, it had been a cold night on the cusp of winter and fall. Nothing about this made sense.

“I guess that’s what Deaton meant when he said time worked differently for this ritual,” said Scott.

“There’s different and then there’s this,” said Stiles. “This is crazy.”

“Definitely, but we still have to find out way out. Let’s get going. We can do this, Stiles.”

“Yeah. Yeah we can. And at the end, we’ll have our bond and we can finally move on to more important alpha and emissary stuff.”

“There’s no one else I’d rather have by my side for this. You’re my brother and you’re gonna be a great emissary.”

Scott’s words stung for Stiles because, though Scott surely didn’t mean for it to, it reminded him that he could never be and never would be more than a very close friend. Scott felt his own words act as a knife, slowly shaving off another part of his heart, another part of himself.

“Thanks, Scotty,” said Stiles. “But I’d never have the chance without you as my best friend and alpha.”

Stiles’ words only added to the pain they each felt. They both smiled in spite of it, not wanting to accidentally tip off the other.

They made their way through the preserve. As they walked through it, they found the time of day and the seasons changed at random. They went from a sweltering summer day to a bitterly cold and snowy winter night just a few steps later. They searched for hours, but always found themselves back at the nemeton. Though it felt like they had spent nearly a day searching, neither of them really had any idea how much time had passed. It was impossible to guess with the ever shifting environment.

Finding themselves back at the Nemeton yet again, Stiles collapsed onto the stump and let out a groan of frustration. Scott sat down quietly next to him. He couldn’t blame Stiles. Scott was tired and frustrated, too.

But as they spent more time together, futily searching for a way out together, Scott began to notice something was bothering Stiles. Thinking back on it, he’d noticed it ever since Deaton explained their bonding. A frown crossed his face, drawing Stiles’ attention.

“You okay, Scotty?” asked Stiles, the frustration on his face giving way to concern.

“I was about to ask you the same thing, Stiles,” responded Scott. “Is… Is something wrong? With me? With us?”

Stiles’ heart skipped a beat as it leapt into his throat. Scott thought there was something wrong and that it was his fault. He cursed himself for ever letting Scott feel like that.

“No, no. Nothing’s wrong, Scott, especially not with you,” said Stiles. “I’m just a little frustrated by this ritual. That’s all.”

“Stiles…”

“I’m fine, Scott. Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out, buddy. We always do. Can’t let Deaton get the best of us.”

Stiles went to stand, but Scott blocked him from walking away, staring straight into his eyes. Stiles’ heart broke at the sadness he saw in Scott’s eyes. No. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Scott was supposed to be happy and okay. Stiles was supposed to help him.

“Stiles,” said Scott again, softly yet firmly. “I know something’s wrong. Ever since Deaton explained this bonding thing, you’ve been different. Something’s been bothering you.”

“The same could be said for you, Scott. You’ve been different, too. I’ve noticed,” fired back Stiles.

Stiles immediately regretted his words. He saw Scott’s heart crack behind his eyes.

“Stiles,” said Scott, his voice cracking just a bit. “Do you not want to be my emissary? Do you… not want to be around me that much?”

Stiles’ own heart shattered. He couldn’t do this anymore. He couldn’t let Scott stay in pain like this. To hell with his own feelings. He’d deal with the consequences later like he always had. Stiles lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Scott in a tight embrace. He felt Scott tense in surprise for a moment.

“No, Scotty,” answered Stiles, “I want nothing more than to always be by your side. Being your emissary is the biggest honor and privilege I could hope for.”

“Then what is it?” asked Scott.

“I know why we haven’t been able to bond. Why we’ve been so out of sync. It’s all my fault.”

“What do you mean?”

Scott was confused. Stiles wasn’t at fault. It was him. He’d been holding them back. Him and his damn feelings. He’d been trying so hard. And no he might have pushed Stiles away.

“Shhh, Scott. Let me finish,” said Stiles, taking a deep breath as if bracing himself. “The reason we haven’t been able to bond is because I’ve been holding something back from you. A secret. A very very important secret.”

Scott was surprised. What could Stiles have possibly been keeping from him? He realized that was unfair since he was doing the same, but still.

“You can trust me with anything,” said Scott softly. “You know that.”

“I know, Scott. I know,” said Stiles. “I just don’t want to ruin things. I don’t want to ruin our friendship.”

“Stiles, whatever it is, we’ll be okay. We always are.”

“Okay. So, I’m just gonna say it flat out. Scott, I’m in love with you. Like love love. In a romantic and sexual way. Have been for a while actually. Since we were kids I think.”

Scott’s eyes widened and his pulse skyrocketed. He couldn’t believe that words coming out of Stiles’ mouth. Stiles shared his feelings!

“I don’t want things to change between us though,” said Stiles. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship and I totally understand if you don’t feel the same. I just had to get it out there and-”

Stiles was cut off by Scott’s lips pressing against his firmly and passionately. Stiles’ eyes widened in surprise. It felt so right to both of them.

“I love you, too, Stiles,” said Scott, a huge grin on his face after they separated. “I just wasn’t sure you felt the same.”

“Wait, so all this time-?” said Stiles.

“Yep.”

“Oh, goddamnit.”

Scott and Stiles burst into laughter, falling into each other’s arms. After a few moments, they felt a warm tingling sensation and stopped long enough to look down at themselves. Glowing green runes were rapidly tracing themselves over their bodies. They could feel it, their bond. They were connected again and on a deeper level than ever before. this must have been what Deaton meant.

The trees began to sway and bend as a strong wind blew threw the clearing. Suddenly, they parted, forming a clear and straight path.

“I guess we did it,” said Scott.

“I guess so,” agreed Stiles. “Should we go then?”

“Yeah. Let’s go,” said Scott, taking Stiles’ hand. “Together.”

“Together,” nodded Stiles.

“I love you, Stiles,” said Scott as they made their way down the newly revealed path.

“I love you, too, Scott,” replied Stiles, giving Scott’s hand a gentle squeeze.

All felt right with the world as they made their way out of the preserve. It had been a long time since either of them had felt this happy or content or this close to the other. When they finally exited the preserve, they were standing in front of Stiles’ Jeep. They looked behind them to find the path that they had followed was gone as were the runes that had appeared on their bodies. According to the Jeep’s clock, they had only been in the preserve for ten minutes. With the ritual complete, Scott and Stiles made their way back home.

* * *

Deaton sat in his office, doing some light reading. He glanced up at the green army man sitting on his desk just in time to see it light up like a neon light. Deaton smiled. They’d finally done it. They’d admitted their feelings and forged their alpha/emissary bond. He always knew they could do it.

“Well done, you two,” said Deaton. “Well done indeed.”

Deaton took the toy soldier and placed it in a wooden box with Scott’s symbol on it. He placed it on his shelf next to an identical wooden box with a triskele on it, glancing fondly at the old box for a moment. Deaton turned out the lights and headed home. Now that they were bonded, the real work would begin. And Deaton would need his rest if he was going to teach them.

 


End file.
